


Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

by vanete_druse



Category: The Unit
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apartment Building, Fluff, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 01:44:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2529428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanete_druse/pseuds/vanete_druse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Charlie notices his new neighbor, Hector, and one time Hector notices him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lineadecuatro (Maiucha)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiucha/gifts).



> Inspired by this tumblr post that reads: _"Someone needs to write a 'the fire alarm went off at 3 am and now the cute guy from the flat next door is standing next to me in his underwear' AU"_ as well as the ever lovely Maia who always seems to guide me to the right story ideas.  <3
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! :)

**5**

The apartment across the hall has been vacant for a few months before Charlie comes home from work to the door wide open to a mess of boxes piled in the front room. His keys in his hands, he debates for a moment whether to be a good samaritan and offer assistance or to just unlock his door and leave the new tenant to his own devices, when the man in question appears in the doorway and makes the decision for him.

 _Tall, dark, and handsome_ is a phrase Charlie was so certain was created by a penny dreadful harlequin writer in order to push off lazy writing onto the masses of the sexually repressed desperate for release, yet didn’t actually describe _real_ people – at least, until the sight of this man brings the phrase to mind in such an unironic way that the poet within him can’t help but cringe slightly. _I’m totally a good samaritan,_ he reminds himself as he knocks a bit on the wooden doorframe, peeking in with his best Good Impression smile. “Hey there, man. I just got home and couldn’t help but notice a new face. I’m your neighbor from across the hall, Charlie Grey.”

Extending a hand, the other man looks at it for a moment before reacting, with his own smile and shakes it lightly but firmly. “Nice to meet you, Charlie. I’m Hector Williams. Sorry, I’m a bit dead on my feet right now.”

“Moving is always hard,” Charlie agrees, trying his hardest not to stare directly but failing only slightly. _Hey, eye contact is a good thing._ “You need a hand with anything? I don’t mind helping out.”

Hector looks at Charlie and back at his boxes before rubbing his face and shaking his head slightly. “Oh, no, no, I’m good. But thanks for the offer.”

“No problem. Like I said, I’m right across the hall, don’t hesitate if you ever need anything.”

“I won’t. Thanks again.”

Charlie takes that as his cue to leave, and tries to pretend he isn’t a little bit disappointed at missing out on the sight of his new neighbor bent over boxes.

**4**

It’s been two weeks since Hector’s move-in, and between work and his weekend attempts at a social life, Charlie hasn’t really given him much more thought until he’s running late and calls out to the closing doors of an elevator, “Hold it!”

The doors reopen again to reveal Hector in an impeccable dark suit, a brand new hospital ID card clipped perfectly in his front pocket. “Thanks,” Charlie says, panting slightly, and slinks into the elevator, discreetly attempting to smooth himself down from a disheveled mess to a somewhat presentable person.

He’s never really cared much before about the laidback dress code at his workplace – in fact, he’s even boasted about it to certain friends of his, stuck in stuffy suits all day – but suddenly he’s feeling just a little underdressed in jeans and a T-shirt. _He’s gonna think I’m a hobo,_ Charlie can’t help but think. _I’m literally a nuclear engineer working with the DoD in foreign weapons analysis and this beautiful doctor is gonna think I’m a hobo._

But instead he says, “Got settled in alright, I take it?”

“Yes, thank you,” Hector replies, the picture of politeness. Charlie feels himself start to flush, wondering if he made the other man uncomfortable somehow; did he come on too strong before? Was he too obviously interested?“Up late last night? I always oversleep after pulling double shifts.”

“Yeah. Deadlines are a bitch. But hey, at least the rushing wakes you up in the morning, right?”

“You know, I’ve never thought of it that way before.”

The elevator doors open to the communal apartment garage with a ding. Hector bids him good day and immediately starts walking towards his vehicle – a Jeep, Charlie notices. He’s not really sure what he’s expecting but it’s not this, and yet the surprise only happens to deepen his intrigue further.

 _You need to stop creeping on your neighbor, man,_ he thinks to himself as he walks to his own car, but the image that perfectly cut suit emphasizing Hector’s lean body in all the right ways stays fresh in his mind.

**3**

****There’s something about Halloween that’s always excited Charlie, no matter how old he’s gotten; there’s a part of him that wonders if now, as an actual adult who’s graduated college with a steady job, he should, perhaps, calm down in his seasonal festivities and instead have a nice quiet night watching some classic horror films and handing out candy.

That’s before his best friend Mack decided to throw a costume party to celebrate, and, well, Charlie just doesn’t have any choice in the matter anymore. _Clearly_ he needs to dress up, and after binge-watching an entire season of The Walking Dead over the course of one whole weekend, he figures the most fun would probably be a simple, yet utterly terrifying, zombie.

Four online make-up tutorials, a pair of milky white contacts, and a whole lot of theatrical blood later, Charlie’s finally finished, ready to horrify Mack’s adorable little girls, and trying not to think about how hard this is all going to be to clean up later. _How could I have ever thought of giving this up? I’m not_ that _old yet._

He’s still dripping blood onto the floor as he leaves his apartment, looking up to see Hector standing in the hallway, closing his own door behind himself as well. Clearly dressed up as well, it takes Charlie a minute for his mind to catch up to what, precisely, the other man is wearing, when Hector smiles at the sight of him and flashes a pair of false fangs.

Now the ruffled shirt, waistcoat, and cape all makes sense. _A vampire._ Immediately, a ton of entirely inappropriate phrases involving the words “suck” and “organ” enter Charlie’s head, as he licks his lips and says, “Nice costume!”

“Thanks! Yours too, man. I can’t even lie, you scared me a bit right then. I thought the zombie apocalypse really was upon us.”

Acting shocked, Charlie overdramatically places a hand over his heart, “I’m so offended you think I would get turned so easily. I’m very resourceful, you know.”  


“Oh, I don’t doubt it. The next Rick Grimes, am I right?” Hector smirks a little as he presses the button for the elevator, and Charlie is pretty sure he’s officially in love now.

“You watch The Walking Dead too? See, you have nothing to worry about for a zombie apocalypse then. We’re both set.”

Hector laughs, looking at Charlie, and there’s something in his eyes that he can’t quite put his finger on. “You say that like The Walking Dead is a survival guide for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.”

“Isn’t it?”

Hector’s still chuckling as they depart. Suddenly the glee from the thought of Mack’s shrieking daughters feels incomparable.

**2**

Six in the morning is a pretty ungodly hour to be awake, Charlie realizes, as his eyes start closing even as he grabs the handle of the convenience store coffee mug. Normally he wouldn’t be up this early, but his friend Bob’s car is in the shop, and considering how the law office he works at is on the way to Charlie’s own office, offering him a lift seemed like the right thing to do.

Until he’s staring into the clear black surface of his coffee, trying to remember what he likes to use to sweeten it. _Cream? Milk? Sugar?_

The bell atop the store door rings, waking Charlie up just enough to turn and see Hector stroll inside.

Hector, who is very awake, and dressed in the kind of tight athletic clothing that makes it worthwhile to watch televised marathons.

It’s better and more efficient as a wake-up call than the two dollar sludge he’s been slowly preparing to his tastes.

Popping out an earbud, Hector waves a little and calls out, “Good morning, Charlie,” on his way to grabbing a water out of the store’s fridge.

There’s a part of Charlie that personally wants to shake the owner’s hand for choosing to stock water bottles on the bottom shelf, but he thinks that might be a little too much. “You do know it’s literally six in the morning, right? It’s illegal to be awake right now. That’s a fact, I know a lawyer.”

“You’re awake too, so I guess that means we’re both criminals,” Hector points out. “If I get arrested, you’re going down with me.”

“You’d really throw me under the bus like that? Wow, I thought we were friends.” Charlie can’t even believe this; he’s awake enough to joke and laugh at this point; the world must really be inverted now.

Hector just shrugs and that smirk resurfaces for a moment. “Hey, we’re outlaws now, right? Gotta make sacrifices when you live a life on the run.”

Noticing the time, Charlie realizes he’s a few minutes behind now, and is forced to take his leave a little hastily. If Bob notices that he’s grinning more than usual during the early commute, he doesn’t say anything. He figures he would’ve just blamed it on the caffeine jitters anyways.

**1**

Fire alarms at three in the morning is the kind of combination that just begs for chaos – kids screaming, parents terrified, the bleary eyed masses pushing and shoving one another down the steps in desperate fear over an emergency nobody knows anything about.

Charlie figures somebody probably just left something in the oven for too long. Although why anybody would cooking dinner so late at night is beyond him, he figures it’s also not really his place to judge anybody’s schedule.

Yawning and still half asleep, he walks to what he’s been told is a safe distance away from the apartment building, turning to look back to see the flashing lights of the still blaring alarms illuminated in the windows, yet no immediate sight of fire or smoke. _I swear to god, if this was just some stupid teenager’s idea of a prank..._

Leaning against a tree, he glances at his phone screen, squinting at the brightness to assess the time and wonder if he should call in. There’s no way he’s going to get any amount of sleep before he has to go in, and after staying up late once again with extra research means running on a miserable three hours of sleep if he does.

Sighing, he slips his phone back into his pocket and rubs at his eyes, attempting to readjust to the darkness when he notices a man standing not too far away, obviously trying his hardest to keep his distance from the rest of the crowd. _Oh my god…it can’t be…_

But of course, it is, because this is what Charlie’s life has become ever since that fateful meeting of his newest neighbor. It’s Hector, standing by himself, in nothing but a pair of boxers, his arms crossed over his chest in a way that’s meant to look nonchalant but is actually to calm his shivering in the surprisingly chilly summer night.

“I’m surprised you don’t sleep in silk suit pajamas, Mr. Fancy,” Charlie finds himself saying, probably because his filter is entirely gone when running at this level of exhaustion. Amazingly, Hector jumps a little, and actually _blushes_ , and the way it warms the dark skin, illuminated underneath the starlight and alternating red and blue lights of the approaching fire truck, leaves a feeling in Charlie’s chest that pales in comparison to all the previous internal jokes about love.

Hector maintains his composure and shoots back, “Well, I’m not surprised you sleep in snowman pants, Mr. Casual. I mean, you do know it’s August, right?”

“Hey, it’s never too early to get into the festive spirit,” Charlie responds, trying his hardest not to stare at all of Hector’s exposed skin, but when he dares to peek for just a moment, he finds Hector’s eyes on him, looking off into another direction far too hastily.

“Yes, yes it is,” the taller man responds, although his voice sounds a little distant, distracted. Charlie’s just about to work up the nerve to actually _do_ something about all these very clear signs when the firemen start pouring out of the front doors, blowing their whistles and waving everybody back into the now cleared building.

Chaos resumes as everybody simultaneously scampers back to their comfort of their beds, and within seconds Hector is gone, blending back into the crowd with shocking ease for someone so tall and scantily clad. _Damn._

Maybe he will take that day off after all, considering the extra distractions on his already exhausted mind.

**+1**

Waking up in a bed on a different side of the room, curled around another person is disorienting at first, and Hector involuntarily jerks awake until the events of the previous night come swimming back to him at the sight of messy dark curls on the pillow beside him. _Charlie._

Honestly, he can’t even remember the last time he’s ever woken up beside someone else since he was an undergrad; there wasn’t exactly much time to worry about things like relationships in medical school, and after it all he simply became suited to the bachelor life, the easiest way to deal with the odd hours that hospitals inevitably schedule him for.

Until Charlie pops up in the doorway of his new apartment and offers a hand with the unpacking, of course, and it’s the first time Hector has ever allowed himself to even _entertain_ the notion of potential romance.

 _He’s just being neighborly_ , he finds himself thinking constantly, _He’s probably not even interested in other men. You’re too busy, get over it._

Propping himself up on one hand, Hector watches the way the strips of sunlight peek through the curtains and move across Charlie’s tan skin, illuminating the flesh golden in a way he just wants to kiss. “I’ve liked you from the start, you know. I just didn’t want to admit it at first. I should’ve let you help me unpack that first day.”

“Yes, you should’ve,” Charlie murmurs, his eyes fluttering open and stretching a little as he wakes himself up, but Hector can tell it’s an act, that he’s been lying there listening to him talk to himself like he’s some lead actor in a romantic comedy.

 _Kinda feels that way_ , Hector admits to himself, but if Charlie’s thinking he’s some sort of madman, he’s not running – instead, he reaches up to pull Hector back down to him, for a soft, sleepy kiss, the kind that holds promises for the future in the way their bodies fit together and their noses brush. “We could’ve ended up here _much_ quicker.”

But if Hector’s being truly honest, there’s something about the waiting and the wondering that ultimately makes this all the more _satisfying_. “I guess we can stop ‘accidentally’ running into each other now, hm?”

Pulling away, Charlie licks his lips and raises his eyebrows. “Are you trying to say they _weren’t_ accidents?”

“ _Well…_ ”

“Aren’t _you_ full of surprises?”

The smirk on Charlie’s face speaks volumes, and Hector has never been gladder for a Sunday, free of all obligations besides the man reaching out for him.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so pleased, I'm getting closer to including other members of the team in these things!! One of these days, haha. Also, it's so close to Halloween that I just couldn't resist and had to slip in that little scene ;D It was hard not to dress one or both of them up as soldiers but I liked these ideas more. (Plus, the thought of Hector as a vampire was just a little too much for me to resist, oh goodness.) 
> 
> As for Charlie's job - I was actually originally going to have him as a chemical engineer working in a nuclear power plant, but I did a little research into potential engineering jobs and found a listing from the CIA for engineers in foreign weapons analysis which I thought was absolutely _perfect_ for Charlie. However I didn't want to just say "for the CIA" as I thought it would bring up a lot of ideas of "secret agents and black ops" and since that's the canon of the show I didn't really want that. So I went with "for the DoD" which is an acronym standing for the "Department of Defense" to make it seem more relaxed/removed from the canon, while still being compliant with it. If that makes sense.
> 
> That being said, it's therefore implied they live in Washington D.C. but never stated outright.


End file.
